


Worries (an old snippet of a tale)

by College-Age Zanii (Zaniida)



Category: Cats - Andrew Lloyd Webber
Genre: (I just don't set all my stories in forests anymore), (I still love forests), Alternate Universe, Character Descriptions, College Me loved forests okay?, Friendship and support, Gen, Light Angst, Notfic (of a sort), random ideas, random thoughts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-21
Updated: 2019-12-21
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:40:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21884650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zaniida/pseuds/College-Age%20Zanii
Summary: Mist (Mr. Mistoffelees), Tug (Rum Tum Tugger), and Cassie (Cassandra) discuss the disappearance of Rommy (Deuteronomy), their beloved leader, and how Mist's powers might or might not be helpful in bringing him home.A snippet of what might have been a much longer fic, but never went anywhere.
Relationships: Cassandra & Rum Tum Tugger, Mr. Mistoffelees & Cassandra, Mr. Mistoffelees & Rum Tum Tugger
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	1. Snippet

**Author's Note:**

> I had meant to publish at least one little thing prior to seeing the new CATS film, but then I forgot to put time into making something new. Which is probably a good thing, given how much I've got on my plate at the moment. But this was something I wrote up back in college, and somewhere or other -- I'm actually not sure where, my computer searches are turning up empty -- I have some random notes about what I wanted to do with a CATS AU sort of thing.
> 
> My first exposure to CATS was a Reading Rainbow episode that discussed them, and I was enthralled by the idea, but got completely the wrong idea about what was going on: _Clearly these are alien creatures going up into their weird alien spacecraft_. Some years later, in the college library, I found the CATS soundtrack and listened to it obsessively; with no context for the songs, I formed my own ideas, which is typical for me. The story mutated inside my brain.
> 
> When CATS came out, I begged my parents for copies, to the point where I believe I own three (one VHS, two DVD). And so I got to see CATS for the first time. It was great (even if my parents were a bit weirded out, and my dad didn't enjoy himself until Rum Tum Tugger hit the stage).
> 
> At the time, most of my family would regularly take lessons at the local skate rink, and since my lessons were an hour after my mom's and brothers' lessons, I got to watch CATS on their little TV in the snack bar, and I would practice dance moves along with the songs (rolling across the floor and such). My mom's coach told her to "get that girl into dancing," and if we'd been able to do that, my life (and body) would likely have been much different, but oh well; such is life.
> 
> Wikipedia summarizes Mr. Mistoffelees thusly: _Mistoffelees is a young black-and-white tuxedo cat with magical powers that he cannot yet fully control_. I don't recall how exactly I got an idea close to that (I'm not sure either "young" or "can't quite control his powers" is presented in the story clearly enough for me to grasp), but I did pick up on the following ideas:
> 
> "Mist," "Tug," and "Cassie" being very close friends. Now, the film shows Mr. Mistoffelees in a likely sexual relationship with Cassandra, and there's definitely some sexual energy to Rum Tum Tugger's relationship with anyone aside from maybe Old Deuteronomy, and there's a relationship between RTT and Mist (since RTT's the one who lauds Mist to the group). But the most I figured out at the time was the orgy ("that is clearly an orgy via symbolism"), and mostly I analyzed relationships without the nuance of sexuality.
> 
> Tug being Deuteronomy's wayward son and heir, and Mist considering Deuteronomy to be like a surrogate father. The adoration of Mist when Deuteronomy is finally returned to the tribe is incredibly heartwarming and does provoke me to tears at times; it's my favorite part of the film.
> 
> Mist being not only unsure of his powers, but unsure of his place within the tribe -- having general self-esteem issues, in contrast to Tug's cocky self-confidence. I expanded this to the idea that Mist's powers were partly based on the tribe's feelings about his powers. Mist and his friends need to get the tribe to really believe in Mist's ability to bring Deuteronomy home, or he won't be able to do it -- hence the giant build-up before he tries. I always got the feeling that Mist was half expecting his spell to fail, and that when it actually works, he is emotionally distraught for a moment, and/or waiting to be rejected.
> 
> I also mentally dropped the whole cast into a non-urban setting (because my college self did not like writing for urban/modern settings in the _slightest_ ), which was either a forest or a snowy tundra wasteland where they had to band together to survive. I'm not sure where the post-apocalyptic feels come from, but they were definitely there.
> 
> So, that's the background for this tiny clip of what I could have written, if I'd put the time in at the time. I'm no longer in the right headspace to make a longer CATS fic, but I wanted to at least record what I had prior to charging up my brain with whatever new bizarre ideas might come from this new bizarre Uncanny-Valley-but-I'm-gonna-love-it-anyway randomness ^_^
> 
> (And hey, who knows, maybe this'll mutate into ideas for some other fandom, someday. Anyone else look at Mist here, and see hints of pre- _Thor_ Loki?)

"No one's questioning your leadership," Cassie said gently, slipping a comforting hand onto Mist's shoulder. "We're all doing what we can. It may not be enough. Until Rommy comes back…"

"He's caught. Captive." Mist's eyes clouded over as with crushing pain. "I've felt it since the day he disappeared. If I only knew where he was—I might be able to do something, help him. I don't think he can help himself, not this time."

Tuck clapped a hand on Mist's back. "You'll figure it out. Give it time."

"Time we don't have."

"Give it time," Tug repeated. Brushing back his unruly mane, he threw Mist a disarming grin and leapt onto a low branch, hurrying away through the trees.

Mist nuzzled against Cassandra, glorying as ever in her faithful support, but he knew that she gave voice to the optimist's version of events. The tribe was not willing to wait on his growing powers. They did not see the point of perusing old tomes, hoping to grasp some useful knowledge. Not when their leader was missing.

Mist had hesitated rather than tell them that he knew why Rommy had not returned, because he felt they would panic, rouse a dangerous spirit of unity in the tribe that could lead them all to certain death from a futile battle. So he kept the information to himself and his close friends. And even to them, he did not feel that he could reveal all.


	2. Character Rundown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The notes I just found about the CATS characters as I'd interpreted and planned them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is pushing into Notfic territory, but maybe these ideas will be interesting to someone.

We have **Mistoffelees** , who in my estimation feels very inadequate to the situations he is thrust into. He has powers, but he is just learning to use them, and everyone expects him to do miracles that he can't count on doing. When he actually accomplishes his goals, he is more surprised than anyone.

He's honest about his faults, humble… and maybe his powers come into their own when he accepts/confesses that he cannot do it himself, that he needs assistance and is no longer too proud to seek it? [A principle from some literature I was studying at the time.]

Then what is Misty's role? He seems very much the main character (Frodo). In my original take on the story, the leader goes missing and it is Misty who uses his powers to get the leader back. But he takes a journey much more involved than that of the show to do it. He wanders from the tribe (unheard-of!), is captured by the enemies, is taxed to the limit; he begins to work through how to use his power, and finally uses the collective will of the tribe to bring the leader back.

We'll have to think on this.

Then there is **RTT** , the troublemaker, the rebellious son, the heir whom everyone thinks is unworthy of the position. He has more life than the rest of the members combined (as it were), yet he does make bad decisions and put off growing up (in many ways, but not in all). His little day-to-day duties are less important to him, yet, when it is time to really count on him, he is as mature as he needs to be, and accomplishes more than expected by anyone.

Here is, among other things, the example to us of the harm judging can do. The tribe's negative view of their heir leads them to discount him, and to discount his contribution. Quite possibly things could have been very different had they been less legalistic, more accepting. Furthermore, where he is the one who likes to shake things up, to think outside the box, the tribe fails to make this crucial mental step, and that could be the root of some of their difficulties, and possibly something the tribe will have to overcome later on.

There is also **Cassandra**. Cassie is Mist's supporter, defender; she may not understand everything he thinks, everything he says, but she knows that his way is important and deserves reverence, respect, acceptance. It should not be ridiculed or discounted. Cassie is older than Mist, most likely—in many ways, perhaps—but she is either an older-sister figure (related or not) or is the girl Mist would later get to hook up with, if he hooks up with anyone.

Cassandra plays the role of acceptance of things not fully understood. She takes a more spiritual point of view and understands things at a level the tribe usually fails to. She extends the hand of friendship to others. And she is noble, pure, unsullied, pleasant, compassionate. She may not be as "fun" as some, but she is certainly a friend worth having when you need a shoulder to cry on.

Those three form a sort of cornerstone, the three friends (with Cassandra a much smaller role, really, than Misty and RTT).

Then we have a fourth member, possibly more valuable (to the story) than Cassie: **Rumpleteazer**. Teaze is, well, mischievous, and often does not see the harm of her actions. She acts without thinking. (There is some contrast to RTT here: He is not so impulsive, although he may seem to be; he does not do things that harm others, and he is not so irresponsible as others believe him to be.)

Teaze is, of course, Mungojerrie's sister—and Mungojerrie serves the villain, or has served him in the past, or something of the sort. Teaze does not, I think, know this, or else she discounts it (perhaps she does not believe that he is a villain). Later on, when the villain hurts the tribe and/or steals their leader, Teaze turns accusing eyes on her brother, who can only protest in horror that he didn't realize it would go this far.

(I quite separate this pair from the evil, semi-sadistic duo in some of the fanfic segments I've written.)

* * *

Now, as to the tribe, and the members who form the cornerstones of the collective attitude. We have the most judgmental, Jellylorum; the proper one, who is yet capable of having fun (and has a sense of humor, even self-depreciating humor!), Jennyanydots, who might be related to RTT; the serious, duty-minded, "why me" second leader, Munkustrap; and the intuitively organized, knows-the-boundaries watchman Skimbleshanks, who keeps everything running smoothly and most adeptly handles the conflicts between opinions/methods and between necessary mutual-exclusives. Jellylorum and Munkustrap are the most, well, duty-bound, or shall we say Menlo-minded? [A reference to a character from Disney's _Recess_ , a fifth-grader who's not a bad kid by any stretch, but is meticulous to the point of being insufferable.] Jennyanydots and Skimbleshanks are more capable of letting the children play in the mud, smiling at their fun; Jellylorum and Munkustrap would be frowning at the thought of the future cleanup and/or the future rule-breaking this sort of allowed behavior might breed.

Now, Jellylorum is not likely to change her mind. In fact, although I'd certainly like to make her less of a stereotype "badmother," she might be the one, or one of the few, who ultimately refuses to change her methods, her perceptions.

Munkustrap might need extensive persuading, but he is not stuck in his mindset just from habit: It is the best way, in his head, to handle the things that need to be done. This means that, once he understands the new better way, he will (cautiously) adjust his thinking to compensate. Though wary, he is logical enough to change.

Skimbleshanks, being most likely an N [MBTI Intuitive type] (notice how he doesn't show up until the last minute—he had things under control but didn't bother to tell anyone), sees the big picture while Jellylorum and Munkustrap are seeing the fine details. Skimble is therefore much easier to convince of the necessity for radical change. And while he does insist on some conformity to duty, to proper behavior, certainly he can see allowances, extenuating circumstances. He'd make a good dad.

Jennyanydots, really, though she would seem from part of the description to be "no fun," is certainly an attractive personality, and does things to better the lives of others; she is not a worried fussbudget who tries to cut out all the interesting bits of life. She reacts to RTT with a roll of the eyes; she fights to protect her tribe from the villain; she stands up firmly against the clearly criminal MJ and RT, a quite different stance from her tact with RTT (the incorrigible).

So, despite the feeling of not accepting change, three of the cornerstones are more than capable of being brought to where they need to be. What a pleasant thought. :3

So. We have left… a bunch of kids and teenagers. The "I'll drop in sometime" Bustopher Jones. Victoria, at the threshold of adulthood. The leader, of course; the villain; and Bombalurina, Demeter… hmm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, this is unlikely to become a story; it's just the notes from a story that might have been, once upon a time.
> 
> If anyone feels like making use of these ideas, feel free! I'm never stingy with my ideas. If you come up with something worth sharing, I'd love to hear about it!

**Author's Note:**

> If I ever find more stuff I wrote for CATS, it might end up as new "chapters" for this piece. Don't expect it to add up to a fuller story; if I start writing a fuller story, it'll show up as its own piece, not more pieces of this.
> 
> By the by, if anyone knows of CATS fics that focus on Friendship and Support (as opposed to sexuality), especially ones that center on Mr. Mistoffelees, Rum Tum Tugger, Munkustrap, Skimbleshanks, Rumpleteazer, or Victoria, I would love to know about them!
> 
> P.S. Skimbleshanks was one of my ensemble of imaginary friends through college and beyond. He's about two feet high, and his specialties were sticking to a schedule and being organized, both qualities I desperately needed (and still could use). Back when I was planning a Markiplier fan game (that was way too big for me to ever pull off, oh well), I had planned to cameo Skimbles in the opening dream sequence =^_^=


End file.
